Chapter 40: The Train (2)

‘How boring.’

Grabbing a random book to pass the time had been a mistake. Out of all the books available, I had to pick one about religion and theology.

The title ‘God Is Gone’ made it seem like some kind of fantasy novel, but that wasn’t the case at all.

It was nothing but theoretical discussions and fundamental principles about religion. As someone who was practically an atheist, this book had nothing of interest for me.

I closed the book and set it down on the table.

Lifting my head slightly, I saw Adele and Lily leaning against each other, fast asleep. They must have been exhausted.

Watching them, I realized I wasn’t as bored as I had thought.

‘It’s been a while since things felt this peaceful.’

A drowsy feeling crept up on me as I watched them.

Of course, this brief moment of peace didn’t last long.

Vwoooom…

‘A flag, huh.’

A bad omen appeared in my pre-cast detection magic.

It wasn’t surprising. There was no way the Empire’s eyes wouldn’t reach this far.

Still, the fact that my prediction was spot-on was a little absurd.

Vwoooom…

I roused the mana flowing within me.

A refreshing sensation washed over my body as my senses expanded. I was using mana as an extension of my perception.

Soon, an image of the train formed in my mind—

The strong wind rushing past, the leaves drifting down, the mana engine burning brightly.

A flood of information rushed into my brain. I filtered out most of it and focused solely on the train tracks.

The disturbance detected by my spell was on the tracks.

‘That’s…’

A man stood there.

A massive figure with his arms crossed, silently staring at the train.

A name from the original story surfaced in my mind.

‘No way… is it him?’

I cast teleportation and appeared atop the train.

My vision shifted, revealing a red-haired man. His face, arms, legs—even the corners of his eyes—were covered in rough scars.

He measured the distance between himself and the train with his fingers before taking a deep breath.

“Hooop.”

With a short exhale, he extended his hand toward the train.

His fist sliced through the air, advancing slowly.

The ridiculousness of the act made me chuckle involuntarily.

BOOM!

His punch pierced the front of the train.

With a deafening roar, he was pushed back along the tracks, thick veins bulging on his forehead.

His feet dug deep into the ground, leaving rough marks on the railway.

Screeeech…

The gears driving the train’s wheels screeched in protest. Sparks flew as metal ground against metal, producing an unpleasant noise.

The train’s speed was visibly slowing.

Strength alone, without using aura, was stopping an entire train.

I had my doubts, but now there was no mistaking it.

Screeeeech!

The agonizing shriek made me frown.

The train, already slowing, came to a complete stop with a final, exhausted hiss.

“Haah… still got it.”

The man pulled his fist from the train’s center and rotated his wrist.

Then, as if simply stretching after a workout, he rolled his shoulders and loosened up his body.

Catching his breath, he scanned his surroundings before locking eyes with me.

“Oh?”

Fwoosh.

I heard the sound of wind whipping past my ears.

BOOM!

A fist halted just inches from my face.

The force of his leap made the train shake slightly. My slightly disheveled hair was tossed around violently.

“Hah. Impressive. You actually blocked that.”

“Who are you?”

“Haha, who else would I be? I’m the bandit leader, of course.”

A bandit leader, huh.

I couldn’t hold back my scoff.

What kind of bandit stops a train with his bare hands?

I’d never heard of a bandit who could throw a punch faster than I could react.

If the world were truly filled with bandit leaders like this, the Empire would have been conquered by bandits long ago.

“The Emperor’s Blade, Katra.”

His pupils trembled slightly at my words.

Did he really think he could fool me?

I didn’t let the brief hesitation go to waste.

Boom!

A hammer-shaped spatial spell sent him flying.

Catching him off guard, the impact slammed him onto the tracks.

Dust erupted into the air, momentarily concealing him from view.

“Hah… just like the rumors say. Duke Hardenberg.”

‘So he’s already showing his true colors.’

The red-haired man emerged from the dust cloud, stepping forward at a leisurely pace.

Katra.

A warrior from a barbarian tribe that had been annihilated by the Empire.

Through sheer combat prowess alone, he became the Emperor’s Blade—an absolute monster.

Even in the original story, he was strong enough to fight Abel on equal footing.

But more than his brute strength, the real problem was something else.

He was a battle junkie.

“I hate people who just run their mouths.”

He cracked his knuckles, locking eyes with me.

Then, crimson aura flared around his body.

So up until now, he hadn’t even used aura? He stopped a train using nothing but raw physical strength?

His power was on an entirely different level from anything I had encountered before.

“What a coincidence. I don’t like pointless chatter either.”

“Then let’s fight.”

A crimson gleam flashed in his eyes.

Before I could even react, his fist was right in front of me.

But just before impact—within mere inches—it stopped.

Physically speaking, Katra was superior to me.

But my primary weapon wasn’t my body.

It was magic.

His unrefined fists could never break through it.

BOOM!

A flurry of punches came flying at me—pure physical force, reinforced only by aura.

Yet, each and every strike was nullified right before my eyes.

“What the hell is this trick?”

Katra’s face twisted in frustration.

His attacks were powerful enough to make the veins in his arms bulge, yet none of them could reach me.

“It’s just ordinary magic.”

A spell that controlled the very fabric of space.

It was a level that Abel, in the original story, had never managed to reach.

I didn’t even need to move my hands—just my will alone was enough to dominate space itself. And by doing so, I could nullify any form of energy within it.

In other words, I was Katra’s perfect counter.

“Hah. This is getting interesting.”

He scoffed and took a step back.

“I didn’t want to resort to underhanded methods, but…”

The moment Katra snapped his fingers, black-masked men materialized from the shadows.

They hadn’t just been hiding. If that were the case, I would have noticed them earlier.

This was something else—something closer to teleportation.

‘Artifacts, maybe?’

No, there was no time to analyze.

If I hesitated, Adele would be in danger.

The masked figures shattered the train windows and stormed inside.

The Emperor’s Hand.

The moment that name flashed in my mind, I teleported.

The scene inside the train shifted into view.

Screams stabbed into my eardrums. The windows were already drenched in blood.

Anyone who resisted, even slightly, had been executed in an instant.

It was an absolute massacre.

“Lily, stay behind.”

Adele had already deployed a shield, calmly fending off the assassins. Though, from the looks of it, she was barely holding on.

BOOM!

I reached out, and one of the assassins was launched into the ceiling.

With a sickening pop, his head burst like a watermelon, scattering unrecognizable fragments everywhere.

I used magic to wipe the blood splattered on Adele’s shield.

She turned toward me, eyes wide in shock, before hastily grabbing my hand.

“Abel! What is going on?!”

Her voice, uncharacteristically high, betrayed her panic.

“We’re under attack. And the one behind it is obvious.”

As I answered, I extended my right hand toward an enemy lunging at me with a sword.

An invisible hammer slammed into him, sending him crashing against the seats before he was flung straight out of the train.

“...How did you know?”

“Who knows?” I shrugged.

Saying I didn’t know would be a lie.

But there was no need to explain right now.

Besides, it was classified imperial information—I couldn’t reveal it even if I wanted to.

“More importantly, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. But…”

Adele hesitated, glancing to the side.

Urk…

There, Lily was crouched, clutching her mouth as she dry-heaved.

Adele patted Lily’s shoulder, trying to comfort her.

“Lily’s not handling this well, so…”

She trailed off, suddenly sensing something behind her.

BOOM!

The train door flew off its hinges, slamming straight into the assassin who had been creeping up on her.

With a sickening crunch, the door and the assassin both embedded themselves into the ceiling.

I turned my head—

Standing there was Evan, his sword wreathed in a blue aura.

“My apologies, Duke. I’m a little late.”

Blood dripped down his forehead as he caught his breath.

Though he was covered in red, most of it didn’t seem to be his own.

A quick mana scan confirmed that his condition wasn’t too bad.

“Evan, protect her—”

Before I could finish my sentence, my instincts screamed a warning.

A blinding white magic circle flared in my vision.

An overwhelming force surged from beyond the spell.

If I had reacted even a second later, both Lily and Adele’s heads would have been separated from their bodies.

The chilling realization sent shivers down my spine.

“Hah. You actually blocked that?”

“What… is this…?”

Adele, having witnessed the attack up close, collapsed onto the floor, her legs giving out.

Katra, however, remained unfazed.

He simply locked eyes with me, unbothered.

“Well then, let’s start round two, Duke.”

Scarlet aura erupted from his body, flaring like wildfire.

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

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